Hybrid Owners Howl As California HOV-Lane Access Ends in December

All good things must come to an end, and it’s the same with the wildwood weed … err, with California’s HOV-Lane access perk for owners of three hybrids: the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, and Honda Insight. They are set to expire on December 31 of this year.

Originally passed in 2005, the law opened California’s high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, restricted to carpools, to a limited number of very low-emission vehicles even if there was just a single person in the car.

THe law’s goal was to give buyers an incentive to trade in their old cars for a far more fuel-efficient Toyota Prius (any year), Honda Civic Hybrid (any year), or original Honda Insight (1999-2006).

…Federal highway officials says congestion in carpool lanes is increasing throughout California, Richards writes. Ending access for single-occupancy vehicles would speed the ride for more people–trading off incremental gains in fuel efficiency and air quality for moving more bodies.

The Car Connection